Zoonoses – From Panic to Planning
Over two thirds of all human infectious diseases have their origins in animals. The rate at which these zoonotic diseases have appeared in people has increased over the past 40 years, with at least 43 newly identified outbreaks since 2004. In 2012, outbreaks included Ebola in Uganda, yellow fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Mauritania.
Zoonotic diseases have a huge impact – and a disproportionate one on the poorest people in the poorest countries. In low-income countries, 20% of human sickness and death is due to zoonoses. Poor people suffer further when development implications are not factored into disease planning and response strategies.
A new, integrated ‘One Health’ approach to zoonoses that moves away from top-down disease-focused intervention is urgently needed. With this, we can put people first by factoring development implications into disease preparation and response strategies – and so move from panic to planning.
To download the full publication visit http://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/zoonoses-from-panic-to-planning
[SOURCE: Institute of Development Studies]
Fore-CAN Report: Healthy Animals | Healthy Future 2025
From foresight to insight to action > applying foresight to Animal Health Emergency Management in Canada. Report published in September 2011 by Fore-CAN: Foresight for Canadian Animal Health.
Juan Lubroth on animal disease risk
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Juan Lubroth, looks at the threat of animal disease outbreaks and human pandemics, and explains why investing in prevention makes economic sense. [Source: FAO]
DairyCo joins with other European countries to tackle dairy farming’s biggest challenges
DairyCo has joined forces with other European levy funded organisations to collaborate more closely on dairy research, development and knowledge exchange.
Dairy levy bodies in six European countries have signed up to the European Cattle Innovation Partnership (ECIP), the culmination of an initiative by dairy farmer and former Farmers Club chairman Richard Holland. Mr Holland saw an opportunity for levy organisations across Europe to better co-ordinate efforts to tackle priority issues, and make the most of existing research available from other countries.
“Many of the issues facing dairy farming are common across several countries’’ explains Mr Holland. By forming a partnership, we now have a recognised platform where we can share our research and knowledge, to address those issues in a much more efficient way.”
The group has compiled a list of over 200 projects, which will be kept up to date under the new collaboration agreement. The database provides an overview of current activity, as well as identifying projects whose results may be readily translatable to other countries.
DairyCo head of R&D Ray Keatinge says: “The partnership is an excellent opportunity for us to get a better return on our research funds for levy payers. We will be looking at where we can avoid duplication and act more strategically in R&D terms, across a wider geographic area. For example, there are lessons we can take from Danish research into lameness, or from work on manure management in the Netherlands. The distinguishing feature of this group is that it represents the needs of the dairy farmer, and is very much focussed on increasing the impact of applied R&D at farm level.”
During 2012, ECIP will be co ordinated by the Dutch Dairy Board. As ECIP matures, the group will develop proposals targeting additional EU funds, to underpin collaborative research, development and knowledge exchange.
